A Time for Prayer

‘B ut thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:6) Prayer is one of the greatest blessings that God has given to man. We are told that we can let our requests be made known to God through prayer (Phil. 4:6), and that we can have confidence that He hears our prayers (1 John 5:14). No matter where we may be or what time of day or night, we have the accessibility to the ears of the One that is able to do abundantly, exceedingly, above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20-21), but how many can say that they pray as often as they should? The Bible instructs us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), but how many actually do? It is my opinion that prayer is an untapped resource for many as they fail to let their petitions made known to God with thanksgivings. Many may take the time to thank God for food when they sit down to eat a meal or may be led in public prayer when in the assemblies of worship, but their personal prayers are not as often as they should be. Let us notice how Jesus teaches to pray.

When Jesus was preaching the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), He taught how one should pray (Matt. 6:5-13). As Jesus begins discussing prayer, He emphasizes that we are not to pray as the hypocrites do, using vain repetitions or to pray in order to be seen of men (v.5-8). After making these opening remarks about prayer, Jesus addresses the reverence we are to use in our prayers. We are to use reverence in our prayers by addressing the Father in reverent way. As Jesus gives the model for prayer, He begins by stating “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” This is a phrase that is heard by many as they begin a public prayer, but what does the phrase “hallowed be thy name” mean? The phrase “hallowed be” is being used in Jesus’ prayer to denote the holiness of God as this phrase means “set apart.” Jesus is expressing the superiority of the Father in the beginning of His prayer and those that address Him in prayer should do likewise. It should be noted that Jesus is addressing the Father in this prayer, and when giving the model we are to follow He is instructing that prayers are to be offered to the Father. When we pray, all three members of the Godhead are present, as the Father is being addressed, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit making intercession for us in prayer (Romans 8).

The next aspect of prayer is the desire we have for the Lord’s will being done (v.10). During the time Jesus gave the model for prayer, the kingdom had not been established and He instructed to pray “thy kingdom come.” Those that lived prior to the church being established in Jerusalem after Jesus ascension into heaven (Acts 2), anticipated the time when the kingdom would come. The kingdom did come in the fullness of time (Eph. 1:10; Gal.

4:4), the church was established (Acts 2), and the will of the Lord has taken place in regard to the kingdom coming. Jesus then instructs when we pray, we have a desire that the will of God be done. Jesus was prayed for the Father’s will to be done, even if it meant Jesus would have to suffer (as is seen in His prayer at Gethsemane; Luke 22:42). It should be the desire of every child of God that God’s will be done on this earth. As we notice the turmoil in this world, we should earnestly desire for the Lord’s will to be done, knowing it is the Lord’s will that “all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

We should have desire in our prayers, but we should also have dependence upon God (v.11). Jesus mentions our dependence upon the Father to “give us this day our daily bread.” Everything that we have ever had, everything that we have ever enjoyed has been a gift from God. The food that we eat, the clothing that we wear, the homes in which we live, all of these have been a blessing from God the Father, who has sustained us by His goodwill. We are to pray for our daily needs, God has provided our daily needs, and since He has it is our obligation to meet those needs by working for what He has provided (2 Thess. 3:6-14).

When we pray we should also pray for our forgiveness (v.12). Jesus instructs that we are to pray that our debts be forgiven us. This is not referring to a finical debt that we owe but is referring to our being indebted to God for our sins we have committed. If an erring child of God commits sin, they are to ask God to forgive them (Acts 8:21), and also ask the church to pray for them, as the effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much (Gal, 6:1-2; James 5:16). If one is not a child of God, they must do all that has been commanded by God to be forgiven, believing Jesus is the Christ (John 8:24), repenting of sin (Acts 2:38), confessing Jesus before men (Matt. 10:32), and having your sins washed away in the waters of baptism (Acts 22:16). Being able to pray for forgiveness is a privilege we are given and should be humbling to know that God will forgive if we will ask.

Finally, we are reminded of the guidance that God provides in this model prayer (v.13). How is it possible that God will guide us? It is not a mystical force that is used by God, but rather, we are able to be guided by God when we reflect upon His Word. The Word of God is a lamp unto our path (Psalm 119:105), given to us to keep us from sin (Psalm 119:11), and when His Word is consulted regularly, we may be directed in the paths of righteousness. We should seek His guidance as often as possible in order to abstain from every appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22) and pray for His help in this endeavor.

How often do you pray? Is your prayer life something that is neglected, only calling out to God when you are in need, or do you pray without ceasing, knowing the great blessing that we have been given by being able to access the ears of God at all times?

Jeremy Thornton is Minister of Highway 77 Church of Christ in Marion.

Jeremy Thornton